The National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) urges all workers to join unions in 2010 to participate in the struggle for betterment.

In a press release NAACIE General Secretary Kenneth Joseph said for over a decade the union has been struggling to further increase the possibility of decent livelihoods for its members and other workers countrywide. Joseph said in 2009 NAACIE lost some members in the power utility sector to contract work due to restructuring in the sector despite protests, arguments and suggestions to put workers on secured permanent employment.

NAACIE said it also lost some members in the mining/bauxite industry due to the downturn in bauxite sales though this situation is slowly returning to normal. The union also said it faced companies “which simply have no interest in workers remuneration and conditions” and in fact one company “totally refused” to visit the Ministry of Labour which is legally authorised to conciliate in grievances between workers and their unions and companies.

On the other hand, NAACIE said it was able to negotiate the successful reinstatement of workers wrongly dismissed and was also able to take steps to have jobs evaluated and workers paid for a scientific study. It said saving jobs in the mining sector was among its priorities last year along with maintaining mutual respect with labour functionaries, government, political parties, religious and educational institutions and other social organisations.

In the light of this the union urges workers to become “unionised” and organised as the struggle continues to tackle high taxation, the modes of separation attempted and educating workers to look out for each other.